John Wayne

February 17, 2012

Appearing in more than 175 films during a career that spanned a
half-century, John Wayne became the personification of the
Western hero and an American icon. Nearly thirty years after his
death, he still consistently ranks among the most popular movie
stars of all time.

Wayne was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset,
Iowa. When he was six years old, his family moved to Glendale,
California, where he acquired his nickname, Duke, based on the
name of his Airedale terrier.

While attending the University of Southern California on a
football scholarship, Wayne got a summer job with Fox Film
Corporation. There, he drew the attention of director John Ford,
and soon he was playing bit roles. His first starring role was in
The Big Trail in 1930. Stories indicate it was the
film’s director, Raoul Walsh, who urged Duke to change his name
from Marion Morrison to John Wayne.

Stagecoach, released in 1939, made him a star. From that
point on, his career never faltered. Though best known for his
Westerns, his films also included WWII epics, police dramas and
even romantic comedies. A few of his best known movies include
Red River, The Searchers, The Alamo –
in which he produced, directed and starred -
McLintock!, The Green Berets and True Grit, for
which he won an Oscar in 1969.

Wayne also was a proud supporter of the military, and entertained
the troops as part of the United Service Organization (USO) in
WWII, and in Vietnam. Posthumously, he was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal, and in 1980 President Jimmy Carter
awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wayne married three times and had seven children. Diagnosed with
lung cancer in 1964, he used his illness to raise awareness of
the disease. He beat the lung cancer, ultimately dying of stomach
cancer June 11, 1979. After his death, his family established the
John Wayne Cancer Foundation and the John Wayne Cancer Institute
at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California in his memory.